Jesus: Heir of All Things (9)

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things…

Hebrews 1:1-2a

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Hosea’s words are as fitting now as they were in the Old Testament. Jesus’ name is used frequently but few know Him. Many are perishing for lack of knowledge. How can they believe in Him who they do not know? There is a famine of the Word of God and the effects are all around us.

God in His infinite mercy does not leave us merely with the name of His messenger in these last days, He tells us who His Son is. God reveals seven perfections concerning the Son in Hebrews 1:2-3 followed by seven Old Testament confirmations concerning the glory of the Son. Seven being the number of completeness and perfection in the Bible the Lord is demonstrating the perfection and completeness of the Son. There is no other Savior to look for, the perfect Savior has come. The first perfection of the Son is that He is the Heir of all things.

First, we must deny that any glory is given to the Son which He did not have before His incarnation. The Son as the second person of the Trinity is always full of glory, from eternity to the present (John 17:4). Second, we must deny that the Son was created heir of all things as if there was a time the Son was not. The Son is not “made” heir but “appointed” heir.

Positively, the appointment of the Son as heir ties to the Covenant of Grace. In the Covenant, God the Father promised salvation to His elect people, the sinners for whom Christ would die. The Son promised to be the Mediator between God and Man (1) and in doing so would suffer and die for sinners saved by the grace of God. The Son would not remain under the power of death but would rise again in glory, power, and dominion as heir of all things.

The Son’s appointment as heir was made before time (I Peter 2:18-21). His appointment was declared in time by prophesy (Psalm 2:6-7; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14)). His appointment was revealed in time at the incarnation. “Where is He that is born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2)? The angels sang of Him (Luke 2:14); the winds and the waves obeyed Him (Mark 4:41). Even His enemies knew His position as heir and went about kill Him (Matthew 21:37-39).

Before His death His appointment as heir was intentionally veiled (Matthew 16:20; 17:19). At the resurrection the Son was revealed the heir with power and glory before all the world. Jesus declared it (Matthew 28:18), Paul affirmed it (Romans 1:1-4), and on His clothing it is written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).

As heir, the Son is reigning over all things now. The kings of earth rise and fall but the Son on the throne reigns forever. The Christian rejoices because the power of the wicked one is defeated (Psalm 110); death is conquered by the heir who died and rose again (Revelation 1:17-19); the Son is exalted; He has a name above every name; and He is soon to be publicly revealed in glory before all the earth (Philippians 2:9-11).

Who has this kind of glory but God alone? There is no one else and that is precisely the point of the seven perfections of the Son. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He is greater than all and as Mediator of the New Covenant He is appointed heir of all things. Let us humble ourselves and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

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(1) The office of Christ as Mediator is the focus of Hebrews 2:9 – Hebrews 10: 18. For an earlier overview of Christ our Mediator, you may find this sermon to be helpful.

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